Carlos Corberán’s team moved up to second place in the table thanks to a 1-0 victory over Swansea City that saw them reach ten points from twelve at the start of the season. It was a victory that the Baggies richly deserved although their failure to take a number of excellent chances meant that the closing stages were a little less comfortable than they should have been.
Uroš Račić, who came off the bench and produced an encouraging performance, was guilty of missing one good chance but it was Tom Fellows who missed the best opportunity blazing a shot over the bar when through one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Thankfully, Swansea’s attacking efforts were well-marshalled by a solid Albion defence for the most part and the clean sheet and the three points were secured.
Only twice before has an Albion side conceded fewer than two goals in their opening four games, the most recent being the start of the 1978/79 season when Ron Atkinson’s side won the opening game with Ipswich Town 2-1 before 1-0 and 4-0 wins over QPR and Bolton Wanderers and a 0-0 with Nottingham Forest. The only other occasion was in 1947 when Albion started with four straight victories, three of them 1-0 and the other 2-1. The last time the Baggies conceded just two goals in their opening four games was in 2006/07 under Bryan Robson.
This campaign is only the eleventh in Albion’s history in which they have achieved at least three wins and a draw in their opening four games. On only four of those occasions, most recently under Ossie Ardiles in 1992, have they bettered the start to this campaign by winning their first four league games of a campaign. The last time the Baggies had ten points at this stage was in 2021 under Valérien Ismaël, so it does not necessarily point to a successful season!
| Home | Away | Season End | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | Posn* | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | Posn | Pts | |
| 1988/1989 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 10th | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9th | 72 |
| 1989/1990 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 22nd | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 20th | 51 |
| 1990/1991 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 9th | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 23rd | 48 |
| 1993/1994 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 9th | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 21st | 51 |
| 1994/1995 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 24th | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 19th | 58 |
| 1995/1996 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 11th | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 11th | 60 |
| 1996/1997 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 16th | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 16th | 57 |
| 1997/1998 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 10 | 3rd | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 10th | 61 |
| 1998/1999 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 3 | 10 | 3rd | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 12th | 59 |
| 1999/2000 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 3rd | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 21st | 49 |
| 2000/2001 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 20th | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 6th | 74 |
| 2001/2002 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 17th | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2nd | 89 |
| 2003/2004 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 2nd | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2nd | 86 |
| 2006/2007 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 4th | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4th | 76 |
| 2007/2008 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 9th | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1st | 81 |
| 2009/2010 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 3rd | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 2nd | 91 |
| 2018/2019 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 3rd | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4th | 80 |
| 2019/2020 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 6th | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 2nd | 83 |
| 2021/2022 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 5 | 10 | 2nd | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 10th | 67 |
| 2022/2023 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 22nd | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 9th | 66 |
| 2023/2024 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 7th | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 5th | 75 |
| 2024/2025 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 10 | 2nd | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 6 | ||
| * Positions are recorded as Albion’s position in the table after all fixtures for that day have been completed. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Results
| 1988/1989 | 10/09/1988 | Shrewsbury Town (A) | D | 1-1 | Robson |
| 1989/1990 | 02/09/1989 | Sunderland (H) | D | 1-1 | Goodman |
| 1990/1991 | 15/09/1990 | Bristol City (H) | W | 2-1 | Bannister, Harbey |
| 1993/1994 | 01/09/1993 | Southend United (H) | D | 2-2 | Taylor (2) |
| 1994/1995 | 10/09/1994 | Millwall (A) | D | 2-2 | Taylor (2) |
| 1995/1996 | 29/08/1995 | Southend United (A) | L | 1-2 | Raven |
| 1996/1997 | 07/09/1996 | Queen’s Park Rangers (A) | W | 2-0 | Peschisolido, Taylor |
| 1997/1998 | 30/08/1997 | Ipswich Town (A) | D | 1-1 | Sneekes |
| 1998/1999 | 29/08/1998 | Norwich City (H) | W | 2-0 | De Freitas (2) |
| 1999/2000 | 28/08/1999 | Swindon Town (A) | W | 2-1 | Kilbane, Evans |
| 2000/2001 | 28/08/2000 | Queen’s Park Rangers (H) | W | 2-1 | Van Blerk, Hughes |
| 2001/2002 | 27/08/2001 | Gillingham (H) | W | 1-0 | Dichio |
| 2003/2004 | 25/08/2003 | Preston North End (H) | W | 1-0 | Hughes (pen) |
| 2006/2007 | 19/08/2006 | Colchester United (H) | W | 2-1 | Ellington (pen), Wallwork |
| 2007/2008 | 01/09/2007 | Barnsley (H) | W | 2-0 | Teixeira, Beattie |
| 2009/2010 | 22/08/2009 | Ipswich Town (H) | W | 2-0 | Mulumbu, Koren |
| 2018/2019 | 18/08/2018 | Queen’s Park Rangers (H) | W | 7-1 | Phillips (2), Gibbs, Rodriguez (2 pens), Gayle, Robson-Kanu |
| 2019/2020 | 21/08/2019 | Reading (H) | D | 1-1 | Zohore (pen) |
| 2021/2022 | 21/08/2021 | Blackburn Rovers (A) | W | 2-1 | Mowatt, Phillips |
| 2022/2023 | 17/08/2022 | Cardiff City (H) | D | 0-0 | |
| 2023/2024 | 26/08/2023 | Middlesbrough (H) | W | 4-2 | Kipré, Swift, Thomas-Asante, Sarmiento |
| 2024/2025 | 31/08/2024 | Swansea City (H) | W | 1-0 | Molumby |
Next Matches
| 1988/1989 | 17/09/1988 | Walsall (H) | D | 0-0 | |
| 1989/1990 | 09/09/1989 | Leicester City (A) | W | 3-1 | West, Whyte, Goodman |
| 1990/1991 | 22/09/1990 | Hull City (A) | D | 1-1 | McNally |
| 1993/1994 | 05/09/1993 | Wolverhampton Wanderers (H) | W | 3-2 | Raven, Bradley, Donovan |
| 1994/1995 | 14/09/1994 | Middlesbrough (A) | L | 1-2 | Ashcroft |
| 1995/1996 | 02/09/1995 | Sheffield United (H) | W | 3-1 | Burgess, Hamilton |
| 1996/1997 | 10/09/1996 | Reading (H) | W | 3-2 | Hunt (3) |
| 1997/1998 | 03/09/1997 | Stoke City (A) | D | 0-0 | |
| 1998/1999 | 31/08/1998 | Grimsby Town (A) | L | 1-5 | Sneekes |
| 1999/2000 | 30/08/1999 | Fulham (H) | D | 0-0 | |
| 2000/2001 | 03/09/2000 | Crystal Palace (H) | W | 1-0 | McInnes |
| 2001/2002 | 08/09/2001 | Manchester City (H) | W | 4-0 | McInnes, Clement (2, 1 pen), Dobie |
| 2003/2004 | 30/08/2003 | Derby County (A) | W | 1-0 | Hulse |
| 2006/2007 | 28/08/2006 | Sunderland (A) | L | 0-2 | |
| 2007/2008 | 15/09/2007 | Ipswich Town (H) | W | 4-0 | Miller, Teixeira, Phillips (2) |
| 2009/2010 | 29/08/2009 | Sheffield United (A) | D | 2-2 | Bednár (2) |
| 2018/2019 | 24/08/2018 | Middlesbrough (A) | L | 0-1 | |
| 2019/2020 | 24/08/2019 | Derby County (A) | D | 1-1 | Zohore (pen) |
| 2021/2022 | 28/08/2021 | Peterborough United (A) | W | 1-0 | Ajayi |
| 2022/2023 | 20/08/2022 | Hull City (H) | W | 5-2 | Elder (o.g.), Swift, Furlong, Grant (pen), O’Shea |
| 2023/2024 | 02/09/2023 | Huddersfield Town (H) | L | 1-2 | Swift |
| 2024/2025 | 15/09/2024 | Portsmouth (A) |
